The meeting, taking place for the first time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur from Nov. 4-6, will bring together some of the brightest minds from around the globe to discuss best practices in several industries, including oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical, consulting, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, construction, and electronics.

“The evolving Asia Pacific Conference is a case study in effective international engagement for our association,” said AIHA President Christine A.D. Lorenzo, CIH, a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety and occupational health manager for federal and state operations. “The conference fills a critical need for IH training in a populous region facing both industrial and agrarian hazards. Bringing IH expertise to areas that need it is part of AIHA’s core mission, and through our partnership with MIHA, we are helping to build a sustainable network of industrial hygiene professionals that can protect worker health into the future.”

“This conference will bring more opportunities for practitioners to build a stronger IH network in the Asia Pacific region,” said MIHA President Wan Sabrina Wan Mohamad, CIH, a lead industrial hygienist with Shell Malaysia. “Our collaboration with AIHA, and with other associations in this field, will further align us with our mission of promoting the IH profession through education and training.”

The meeting program will kick off on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with an Opening Session Keynote address by Sazali Hamzah, president and chief executive officer of Petronas Chemical Group, one of the largest petrochemicals producers in the region. Hamzah’s session, which will discuss how sustainable business results can be achieved through health and safety, is expected to appeal to the conference’s core audience, which includes many OEHS professionals from Malaysia’s petrochemical industry.

Since building technical skills is one of the key issues for industrial hygienists in Southeast Asia, the main conference program will address traditional hazards such as noise, ergonomics, and asbestos. Malaysia also has a large farming sector, so a pair of sessions will focus on aspects of agricultural OHS programs, including pesticide assessment and control. Other general sessions will focus on using the IH Value Strategy to build a business case for EHS and on workers’ rights in Asia. The conference closes with an address by Haji Rosli Hussin, the executive director of Malaysia’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA’s 10,000 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government and academia.

About MIHA

MIHA (Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association) is a non-profit professional organization founded in May 2003. With more than 100 members within its first year, it is successfully serving the needs of its members in promoting the field of industrial hygiene, providing education and training, and forums for the exchange of ideas and information.